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RP Price Adjustment in Canada on 2/15/2016

RiotWingfield·2/1/2016, 8:06:45 PM·55 votes·115,293 views

Early last year, we made some adjustments to the price of RP in Canada due to the weakening of the Canadian dollar in comparison to the US dollar. Since then, we’ve continued to monitor the gap in RP purchasing power between US and Canadian players, which has unfortunately widened over time. As a result, we’ll once again implement a slight adjustment to the cost of RP in Canadian dollars on February 15th 2016.

The adjustment will be an ~10% increase in the cost of RP for players paying in Canadian dollars. We'll effect this increase by adjusting the amount of RP available at the different price points (e.g., The 10 CAD pack will now give 1000 RP instead of 1100 RP). Please note that this change will only affect RP purchases made after February 15th. The RP price of content will be unaffected, and Canadian players can continue to pay in US dollars with no change in RP amounts.

Price increases obviously suck regardless of the reasons behind them, but we’d like to provide some background as to why this price change and others like it are sometimes necessary. Generally, we attempt to keep RP prices in relative balance globally. In some regions that just means keeping up with high inflation rates, but in regions like NA that have multiple currencies, it also means ensuring that players are getting similar value for their money regardless of home country. We try to think long-term, so roughly once per year we evaluate (and where necessary, adjust) the RP to currency ratios for each region to ensure that RP prices remain relatively similar.

We had hoped the Canadian dollar would strengthen or at least hold steady after last year’s adjustment, but due to recent economic trends it's continued to fall relative to the US dollar, and the discrepancy has now reached the point where further adjustment is necessary. Typically in cases like this we leave prices slightly lower for the affected country, so Canadian prices will still be a bit cheaper than US ones in order to allow a cushion for any reversals in rates. We've also tried to make sure that the new price points are still above certain thresholds to make sure you can still get the same content with the same pack (e.g. 10CAD still gives enough RP for a 975 skin).

We’re giving the usual two-week notice for this change so we hopefully don't catch players by surprise. Here are the new amounts of RP for all price points as of February 15th for all payment methods:

2/16 updated for Mystery gift at 5 CAD Pack, new prices are now live

5 CAD = 490 RP 10 CAD = 980 RP + 40 Bonus RP 20 CAD = 1960 RP + 115 Bonus RP 25 CAD = 2450 RP + 150 Bonus RP (Prepaid only) 35 CAD = 3430 RP + 270 Bonus RP 50 CAD = 4900 RP + 450 Bonus RP 100 CAD = 9800 RP + 1200 Bonus RP

I'll also be hanging around in this thread to clear up any confusion / address any issues.

  • Wingfield

** FAQ **

** I'm Canadian, why am I getting charged in USD? **

Canadian players can currently purchase RP in either USD or CAD at their preference (it should default to CAD). You can change the payment option to USD or CAD at the bottom of "Step 1: Select Purchase Method" in the Purchase RP flow.

** I'm already paying in USD, so won't this change impact me twice? **

If you're already paying in USD, this adjustment will have no effect on you. Your preferred payment method was/is already converting the US price to Canadian dollars at the current exchange rate. Since you're paying in USD you will get the USD RP amounts, which are not changing in this adjustment.

** Wtf Riot? Does Canada really pay more than the US? **

In terms of RP purchases, Canadians are actually currently paying less than US players for the same amount of RP in equivalent currencies. Math below:

Canadian players paying in CAD are currently getting approximately 155 RP to the US dollar (using the 10 CAD pack), while US/Canadian players paying in USD are getting 138 RP to the US dollar. There's currently a significant inequality between players on the same server (NA). Assuming current USD to CAD exchange rates hold where they are as of writing, on 02/15 Canadian players paying in CAD will be getting 141 RP to the US dollar, still slightly more than their US counterparts.

379 Comments

SKT T1 Easyh0on2/1/2016, 8:34:01 PM222 votes

Remember when Riot adjusted RP price when the Canadian was stronger than the US dollar? Yeah, me neither.

Pumpkocat2/1/2016, 11:01:17 PM53 votes

Do you think Canadians are fucking rolling in money and maple syrup or something?

Does the goof behind this decision take into account how in Canada, hours have been cut due to recession, the cost of living is on the rise, and because minimum wage increased, the price of nearly everything went up as well? The only exception to this is the price of gas, which isn't good because the lower gas prices went down, the more people working in the oil fields got laid off.

I went from making 10.95/hour with 37.5 hours a week to 11.55/h, and I'm lucky if I get more than 30 hours a week now. It's not just my work, its affecting everyone. Why do you need to kick Canadians when they're down?

You can't even afford to live on your own if you worm full-time unless you decide to starve for two weeks every month, or you get a roommate in a literal fucking dumpster.

You can't change prices based solely on the fucking value between currencies. There is so many other factors, and this is such a piece of shit, greedy as fuck move to do. It takes decisions like this to remind me that Riot is a money-hungry cog of the American machine.

Moebama2/1/2016, 8:38:47 PM35 votes

Well now, it's no longer any better because of the Canadian Economy. Looks like I'm guessing quite of few people are going to stop playing because of this issue.

Swerzz2/1/2016, 8:16:32 PM31 votes

As much as i know why you're doing this, It still sucks and feels like a bit of a slap to the face. Hopefully the Canadian dollar will get back to par with the American dollar, then we can all go back to paying the same price. Thou i don't see that happening anytime soon.

If this trend continues. Will there ever be a time where 10$ Canadian will equal less then 975RP? Because, as much as i love League, I can't justify paying more then 10$ on a 975RP Skin.

Also, if the dollar does get better. Will you change the rates back to where they where before (10$ = 1275RP)? Even if that somehow happens before next years adjustment period?

Tsularesque2/1/2016, 10:24:46 PM29 votes

Why not make $5 get 500RP?

Mystery Gifts are ~490, a 975RP skin on sale is 487. Are you guys purposefully making it so the closest price point is short by so few RP?

Mystery Gift... 490 RP - 475 RP = 15 RP short Skin Sale....... 487 RP - 475 RP = 12 RP short

fudoghost2/1/2016, 11:13:05 PM23 votes

Yeah, definitely not buying until you bring this back down. You've lost me as a customer, Riot.

xzero3142/1/2016, 11:50:04 PM21 votes

How can you possibly justify inflation on a virtual product? Thats messed up. looks like I wont be buying rp anymore

Rhînox2/2/2016, 12:22:44 AM18 votes

When I first made my account the CAD was stronger then the US. No adjustment made. Now the CAD makes any movement and you adjust (2 now) to suite you. Your greed is Overwhelming. Enough said.... I hear you Riot and my response is... That'll be the last dime I spend on LoL. GG wp

CPU BIanc2/2/2016, 1:25:48 AM13 votes

Its funny how the american companies didnt adjust their prices when the canadian currency was making the US currency look like toilet paper.

DartFeld2/1/2016, 10:40:45 PM10 votes

the really frustrating thing is that I still have to work the exact same X hours to make that $10, but now my X hours of work is worth less to Riot than it used to be. I get the math from your end, but now I have to work 1.1*X hours for the same amount. actually more, since this isn't the first time this has happened

Nausicäa 2/1/2016, 11:22:19 PM10 votes

" due to recent economic trends it's continued to fall relative to the US dollar, and the discrepancy has now reached the point where further adjustment is necessary"

Meanwhile "Canadian dollar rises to nearly 4-week high, shows resilience as oil prices tumble" https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canadian-dollar-rises-nearly-4-week-high-shows-214017874--finance.html

Gotta jack up dat price doe rite?

CisoSecond2/1/2016, 11:18:46 PM9 votes

Man, all the salt from people who don't want to pay anything more for their RP. They need on their end in order to keep consistency with the economy so that they continue with their profits relatively unaffected. As long as nothing falls under any prices (e.g. 10$ getting you less than 975) then who cares?

If you're so unwilling to spend a little extra money due to a fluctuating economy, is Riot greedy or are you?

Neo Cyrus2/2/2016, 5:14:10 PM9 votes

You do realize just because the dollar has dropped that doesn't magically mean income increases? Canadians are paying more and getting less overall because of this, incomes don't change for years after the currency crashes. Most jobs won't be making any more money than what they made when the CAD was stronger than the US dollar. Now one of your standard skins is equal to minimum wage here.

This will NOT make you more money overall as less people will buy RP now. Your job is to suck every penny out that you can, but you're not even doing it right.

Amazing how there was no option to buy in CAD when the CAD was worth $1.10 USD so we got screwed on conversions and got much less than our currency was worth. Gee, I wonder why you guys didn't implement CAD as a payment option back then.

The real slap in the face was the part where you said Canadians get as much value for their money as Americans. Canada is suffering heavily due to inflation, people pay money to take trips to the US to buy things there because we get so little value for our money here. You can bet your greed department assess that I won't be buying RP anymore and neither will anyone I know.

S H A Y C 02/2/2016, 6:56:29 PM8 votes

Its K my canadian brothers and sisters...League is FREE TO PLAY [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

Tolfik2/1/2016, 11:09:57 PM8 votes

What if in the next year or two the Canadian dollar climbs back up from its current state. Would the cost of rp remain the same or would it decrease?

Fishtaco2/2/2016, 3:29:06 PM6 votes

Hopefully with the Hextech Crafting thing we won't have to spend RP anymore.